Saying Goodbye
by Avidreader1993
Summary: It was a sad day but the weather was very calm; it was chilly out but the sun was shining down and there wasn't a cloud in sight. I couldn't help but feel disappointed; in all the movies it always rained. Rain seemed fitting at this moment but it wasn't Roth; he didn't mind the cold weather or rain but he preferred the warm sun. Rated M for a small sex scene nothing graphic.


This is a one shot. It is part of my previous story 'Let's Start Our Adventure' so if you want to understand certain parts of the story then I'd suggested reading it. But you don't have too I think this story does well on its own.

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The sun was slowly creeping through the windows but the library was still very dark; I couldn't see very far in front of me but sitting in the stiff armchair was comforting; it allowed me to think in peace. I wasn't even sure how long I had been sitting in this chair; all I know is that once I woke up I couldn't get back to sleep.

"Why am not surprised, Lady Croft?" The voice caused me to jump but I quickly relaxed when I saw my Butler and friend, Winston, standing in the doorway. He was already dressed in his formal wear and was ready for today's…activities.

"I hate it when you call me that." I mumbled quietly. I slouched further down my seat and propped my feet on the small coffee table in front of me. Winston walked up to where I was sitting and grabbed my big toes and picked my feet off the table.

"You are the lady of the house…" He replied. I just rolled my eyes at him; he was always so formal but I respected him very much. "Have you slept?" He asked. I could hear a hint of concern in his voice but other than that it was said in his monotone butler voice.

"A little." I muttered while avoiding eye contact with Winston. I heard him sigh and clear his throat.

"Follow me." He voiced sternly. I didn't even hesitate; I just stood up and followed him out of the library and into the foyer towards the kitchen. "Sit." He ordered when we got to the kitchen. Once he saw me sit he began to work around the kitchen. "The paper is at the end of the table."

Looking over I could see the local paper. It was small; only 10 pages long since the town was very small. Skimming through the headlines of the paper I didn't see anything that caught my attention. Then again Penn had always been a quiet town; the biggest news it ever had was when my father was announced MIA. Not wanting to ponder on that fact I began to read the comic strips on the back.

It wasn't long before my reading was interrupted by a cup and a plate being placed in front of me. I looked up from the tiny cartoons to see my favorite breakfast; tea and toast with jam. I smiled at Winston; he always knew me and how to make me feel better. Setting aside the newspaper I began to eat my breakfast. Winston cleaned up his mess before joining me at the table; he picked up my tossed paper and flipped to the crossword puzzle.

"What time is it?" I asked. I had just realized that I wasn't even aware of the time and the sun was just starting to outshine the moon.

"5:30." Winston said. His eyebrows were furrowed as he pondered on a clue that the puzzle gives.

I felt a small smile grace my lips watching him. Winston was a very closed off person to everyone else but I knew his secrets. He had practically raised me my whole life. He would play with me, answer my thousand and one question and listen to my never-ending stories. My father did the same thing but he was gone more than he was there; as far as I can remember Winston was my only constant; still is.

"Your friend is nice." Winston stated knocking me out of my thoughts.

"Oh…Sam? Yeah…she thinks that you don't like her." I said to him. I could see his lips turn upwards into a small smirk. I shook my head at him; he meant no harm but he liked to make people nervous.

Thinking of Sam made a sense of fear creep into my gut; I had no idea what was going through Winston's head about mine and her relationship; he hadn't given an emotion when I said that we were going to share a room. I wasn't sure what his beliefs were on gays; he had never shown disgust or approval towards them. Thinking back now, I don't even think that the topic of homosexuals ever came up.

I glanced over at him. He was writing his answer in the tiny boxes of the puzzle. I could feel the sweat starting to form on my palms. Many people would think I was delusional for being afraid of my butler not approving of my relationship but he was so much more than that and I didn't want to…disappoint him.

"Winston…?" I whispered. He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

"Do…Do you approve…?" I stuttered. I didn't know how to voice the question.

Winston put down his paper and pen and turned to face me. He looked at me as if he was studying me; I could see his eyes wandering all over the features of my face before they connected with my own.

"Lara…you could never disappoint me, never. I never had a problem with homosexuals and I certainly do not have one now. Whether male or female, I want someone to love you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated." Winston said. I beamed at him; a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I jumped up and wrapped my arms around his neck; this was the part of him that people never saw; only I did.

I pulled back to drain the rest of my tea before I headed towards the door.

"Lady Croft…"I heard. I turned to face Winston. He had gotten up and was putting the empty dishes in the sink. When the dishes were stacked neatly he turned to face me.

"I like your friend very much." He stated before turning on his heels and walking out to the yard to most likely water his garden.

I walked out of the kitchen to my room. I was surprised on how easy it was to remember where everything was; I could walk this house blindfolded. But it still set me on edge; I am not comfortable here. I haven't been comfortable since father died; the house became too big.

I opened my door and walked into my room. I walked pass my desk and towards the large bed. I could see the faint outline of a figure lying in the bed; she hadn't moved much since I left the bed. I moved closer and sat at the edge of the bed at the headboard; from this angle I was able to see the features of her face. She was lying on her stomach and had her arms buried under her pillow. Her face had an expression of peace; her hair had fallen over her closed eyes.

I reached over and brushed the hair behind her ear; I let my fingers trail down her face and over her bare shoulder blades. Her skin was smooth and soft under my fingertips; I heard her sigh in her sleep and slightly shift her arms. The movement caused the sheet to slide down her body a little more, exposing more of her beautiful body to me. I could see her breast pressed into the mattress and the arch of her back before it became hidden by the sheet. I felt goose bumps form under my fingers as I continued to trace circles along her back. I edged forward a bit in order to press my lips on her shoulders and inhale her sweet scent. When I pulled back I saw a small smile grace her lips but I knew she was still fast asleep. I looked at her for a few more seconds before I got off the bed and decided to take a shower. Grabbing my towel from the closet I headed towards the large bathroom that was connected to my room.

I entered the room and quietly shut the door behind me. Right away I saw my reflection in the large mirror that hung over the sinks and counters. My eyes were red and I could see dark bags under them; to sum it up I looked like shit. I started to peel my clothes off while trying to avoid looking at my reflection but I couldn't help myself. Once my clothes were off I examined my reflection. I looked nothing like I had after Yamatai but the scars were there; the biggest ones were the one on my arm, hand and stomach.

I trailed my fingers over the scars remembering how I got each of them. As I moved my fingers across my ribs I couldn't help but flinch due to the subtle buries that I had gotten on our recent adventure.

I let my eyes move across my whole body before looking back up at my face; I couldn't help but suck in my breath. The change was drastic; I was not who I was on the day of my graduation. I am still shy but I've learned not to hold back anymore; I know that I can be dangerous; I calculate everything right when I walk into a room and I am overly protective. I was always protective of Sam during University but now…I physically have to hold myself back when someone even looks at her the wrong way.

With a sigh I pull myself away from the mirror and pull back the shower curtain to climb in. The warm water felt good sliding down my back and over my face. I just shut my eyes and lost myself in the hum of the water.

"Sweetie?" A groggy voice said through the door. I pulled my face from the water and wiped my eyes.

"It's opened." I yelled back over the running water. I poked my head around the curtain in time to see Sam open the door and walk in. She had the sheet from the bed wrapped around her body. She closed the door and took a seat on the toilet lid; she was still slowly waking up.

"God…why are you up so early?" She asked. I rolled my eyes, pulled my head back into the shower and proceeded to wash my body.

"You could have stayed asleep?" I replied.

"Not when my girlfriend isn't next to me…" she said. I couldn't help but laugh; in University Sam used to complain about clingy boyfriends.

"You were completely passed out when I got into the shower." I informed. I put my hair under the water to rinse out the shampoo. I didn't hear Sam get up from the toilet so I jumped a little when the shower curtain was pulled to the side.

"That wasn't when you got up first…" she stated. I tried to take her serious expression seriously but she had let the sheet fall from her body when she got up so I became distracted by her perfectly sculptured breast. "Eyes…up…" Sam ordered. I snapped my eyes up to hers but the connection didn't last long because my eyes began to wander again. "Lara Croft…I swear you are worse than a horny teenage boy." She pointed out as she pushed me back and stepped into the shower with me.

"I could say the same thing about you. Who was it that jumped me while I was putting on my nightwear?" I shot back. I reached behind her to shut the curtain. While I leaned forward I brushed my lips along her ear causing her to shiver. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her under the spray of the water with me. I kissed up her shoulders and around her chin before moving to her lips. I felt her wrap her arms around my shoulders and respond to the kiss by forcing her tongue passed my lips.

I couldn't help but moan into her mouth and pull her tighter. I knew I had to end this before we got carried away, I had a lot of work to do today, but the feel of Sam's naked body pressed against mine was making that increasingly hard to do.

I broke from Sam's lips and buried my head into the crook of her neck; I could feel the water attempting to slide down an opening path between our bodies.

"You should get some sleep." Sam suggested. I sighed into her neck and just shook my head. "People are not going to be here until 1 and it is only 6:30, you could get at least a few hours of sleep." She explained. I removed my head from her neck and reached my hand behind me and turned the handle to turn off the water. Sam pulled the curtain opened to step out; she grabbed the towel that I had brought in with me and wrapped it around her body.

"Hey…that was mine." I pointed out. Sam just shrugged and walked out of the bathroom leaving me dripping wet in the middle of the bathroom. "Brat…" I muttered under my breath. As I moved to take a step Sam suddenly peeked back in and threw a new towel in my face.

"You're welcome." She shouted behind her. I unfolded the towel and wrapped it around my body; I went to the large cabinet and grab the lotion and hairbrush. With the brush and lotion in hand I walked out of the bathroom towards my walk in closet; Sam was already in there pulling on a pair of my worn out sweatpants. Once the sweatpants were on she stood there top less exaimining my shirts trying to figure out which one would go best with the pants.

"You're only going to be wearing those for a few hours before we have to change again so I think the fashion queens will forgive you if you don't match." I said. I sat down on one of the ottoman to apply lotion to my legs.

"Lara…Lara…you never know who could come walking through the door and I want to look my best." Sam informed. I chuckled under my breath and continued to lather my legs with lotion. I heard Sam move towards me before I felt the ottoman shift under Sam's knees as she climbed on to it behind me. Her arms came around my neck and she rested her chin next to mine; I reached one of my hands up and laced my fingers with hers. "You ready?" She whispered. I felt her breath against my check and closed my eyes at the sensation it caused.

"I guess but it's gonna make it so final. It wasn't nightmares that kept me from sleeping but dreams of him; of the time we had together." I confessed to her. I let my body lean into her hold.

"It will be alright." She reassured me before placing a gently kiss on my temple.

*Knock*Knock*

We both jumped at the sound; Sam removed her arms and got up to continue her attempt at finding a matching but fashionable shirt. After a few seconds she had finally found one and was pulling it over her head when I acknowledged the person on the other side of the door.

"It's open." I shouted at the door when I saw that Sam had her shirt on.

Winston opened the door and stepped into the room.

"Mr. Herbert is here." Winston announced. "I wanted to know where you would like to meet him?"

"The office will be fine. Tell him I will be down in a few minutes'." I replied. Winston nodded his head before turning and walking out the door. I got up and headed towards my clothes. I grabbed a pair of sweats and a t shirt.

"Who is Mr. Herbert?" Sam asked as I pulled my shirt over my head.

"My lawyer." I replied flatly. I quickly tied the strings on my sweats before going to my mirror and doing my hair into its usual ponytail. I see Sam nod her head through the mirror; she is unsatisfied with my response but for now she is keeping her mouth shut. "Winston should have breakfast ready if you're hungry." I said. Sam just shrugged her shoulders; she didn't like when I withheld any sort of information from her but there are a few things that I want to sort out before I tell her anything.

I let out a quiet sigh before I begin to walk out of my bedroom; I stop at the entrance of the room when I notice Sam isn't following and turn to face her.

"I'll come find you when the meeting is over." I told her before walking out the door towards the library.

Walking into the library I take a left towards my father's old office; I could already see Mr. Herbert seated through the double doors. Like Winston, Mr. Herbert had been a longtime friend of the family; he knew everything about the Croft finances and major legal ties. My father would go to him for advice on everything: money, business, and legal information. He was in charge of every piece of paper my father ever signed and ever since I turned 18 he has been trying to get me to accept my inheritance.

Accepting my inheritance is more than obtaining my father's fortune; it means accepting everything: the money, the manors, his treasures; and his title. Winston calls me 'lady' but in the eyes of the royal government I am just Richard Croft's daughter until I sign for my inheritance.

It's not that I don't want the inheritance; it just that before Yamatai I had little faith in my father; I didn't believe his stories. Besides, I was following the same career and I didn't want people to think I was using 'daddy's' money to get ahead. It was an attempt to prove to others that I could do it on my own and that I didn't need my father's money, but the more I think of it I've come to see that it was more of an attempt to prove all those things to myself.

I take a deep breath and push down on the bronze handles and enter the dusty elegant office. Mr. Herbert immediately stands and wraps me in a hug.

"I may be here for business but it is wonderful to see you again Lara." He says to me in his booming voice. I smile at him when we pull apart and move to sit on the other side of the desk.

"It is great to see you again too." I reply. Mr. Herbert plops down in his seat with a thump. He is a heavy set man that had a big white beard almost like Father Christmas; his eyes are bright blue and are very inviting. He isn't your typical lawyer; he honestly tries to do what he can for his clients and doesn't even think about how much money he can get from them. When he is in lawyer mood he is brilliant but when he is not being a lawyer he is a big teddy bear; he has a loud voice and a charming gentle personality.

"My god, you have grown so much, I can hardly believe my eyes." He points out causing me to blush a little.

"You look good to Mr. Herbert." I give back. He lets out a large chuckle and grabs onto his large stomach.

"You are a darling but I know that my stomach is a lot bigger than it was when I last saw you. And please, you may be a client and I may be here on business but please call me Jerry. I feel old enough just seeing how much you have grown and to have you calling me by my last name, that just makes me feel ancient." He said. I smile at him and just shake my head; he hasn't change a bit.

"Okay, Jerry." I correct.

"Better…now before you change your mind let's get down to business." His tone became serious and he pulled his briefcase off the floor and placed it onto the desk. He stood up to open the case and began to pull out a bunch of papers. "As you know your father had place your name as his primary in case anything happened to him. He originally had your mother but when she disappeared he changed it to you." Jerry explained. He pushed a piece of paper in front of me and showed me where my father signed me as the primary. "Of course at the time of your father's…" Jerry trialed off unsure of how to word his sentence.

"Death." I offered. He looked at me with hesitance but then nodded his head.

"At the time of your father's…death you were not old enough to collect which left your inheritance with me in contract. That basically means that the inheritance would stay as is until you were of age and collected it."

Every time he explained something, Jerry would show me the paper that went with it. Already he had shoved 4 papers at me that had my father's neat, elegant signature.

"Okay, since we have that down now let me tell you the nature of your inheritance." I looked up to see Jerry staring at me waiting for me to give a signal for him to continue. I organized the papers in front of me and push them to the side before I nodded my head at him.

"Ms. Croft, you have everything." He said. I could see in his eyes that he meant a lot more than money and land. "You have the three manors and everything inside them, you have the land that goes with the manors; over the years your value has increased on your land and your money. You were originally left with £2,266,106.50 but over the years it has grown to £10,000,000 due to royalties your father had and interest. Along with the money you also gain all his art and treasures that he has and the books that he collected. Lastly when you sign this paper you will obtain the Croft title; your father's title of Lord will pass down to you. Lara, this paper giver you over £45,000,000 and that is not including what your father has with IAA."

My head snapped to his at the mention of IAA. "You know about that?" I asked.

"Who do you think set up that account? IAA has their own set of rules about the accounts but I still looked after the account and managed everything. When your father worked for IAA I also worked with them and helped them manage the money for his expeditions and his expeditions only." Jerry informed.

"You managed his expedition money?" I repeated.

"Yeah, your father wanted someone who he could trust and who also knew what he spent his money on."

I nodded my head and stared down at the desk. This information was a lot to take in and I was still muddling over the way Jerry said that my father had left me everything. This was more he wasn't mentioning.

"If you do it by pounds you have £80,610,245 to your name. If you do it by dollars you have $124,502,470.43."

"Bloody hell." I muttered. I couldn't even imagine myself with all that money never mind spending it all.

Jerry went on to explain that IAA and my personal accounts were separate but I could call him if I wanted to transfer money between the two. He also suggested that I open or keep my current account and put a little bit of money in that and keep the rest in the Croft account to collect more interest. Finally after an hour Jerry handed me a pen to sign a single piece of paper accepting all of this.

"Whenever you're ready…" He said. He sat back in his chair and waited patiently. I stared blankly at the paper in front of me. There were words on it that I didn't understand but all I knew was that signing this paper would get rid of that little chance that my father might possibly be alive and out there roaming.

"Before I sign there are a few things I want done. There was friend of mine that went to Yamatai with us, his name was Alex, he died while we were there; I want £2,000,000 sent to his family. Don't sign my name just send it and make sure they accept it; we would not have made it out alive if it wasn't for him." I ordered. Jerry took out a notepad and began to scribble the orders. "Next is Jonah, he is still alive, but I want to same amount sent to him too. And Reyes…" I started to say but Jerry held up his hand.

"Roth left her in good hands with the money from IAA; I just want to make sure you know that." He inquired.

"I figured but I still want the money sent to her." I said. Jerry wrote down the order and looked up at me for another one. "You managed the money for my father's expeditions; I would like you to do the same for mine."

"I would be honored too. I'll give Peter a call tomorrow and arrange everything with him. Is there anything else?" He asked.

"Yeah, I want something set up for Winston-"

"Your father was way ahead of you kiddo. Winston is set; he doesn't even need to work but he chooses to stay."

"Okay…the last thing I want done is I want to add another name to the account and I want this same name to be the primary if anything were to happen to me." I said.

"Okay…" Jerry mumbled as he fished around his brief case and pulled out two more pieces of papers. "Have the said person fill these out and I'll get right too it."

"Can I fill them out?" I asked.

"Yeah…if you know their information. It's only your permission that I need to put them on the account so since you're the one asking for them to be added then nothing sneaky is being done." He told me.

I didn't take long to fill out both pieces of papers and put my signature at the bottom of them.

"Alright, once you sign to collect you inheritance these will become valid and immediately put into action."

I once again grabbed my pen and sign the final paper. My signature was directly next to the one my father had put there several years back.

"Lara?" Jerry called out. I looked up and saw concern etched into his face. "You alright?" He asked.

"Yeah…I'll be fine." I muttered to him. He stared at me for a few more seconds before he began to collect his items and place them back into his briefcase.

"If you don't mind me asking, who'd you put down on the account?" He asked when he was all packed and standing to leave.

"Samantha Nishimura." I replied. Jerry nodded his head and started towards the door. "Wait, Jerry!" I yelled out. He stood with his hand on the handle of the door and turned to face me again. "What else does my father have?" I asked.

Jerry smiled at me and pushed down the handle of the door and pulled it open.

"It is not my job to tell you that but don't worry Lara you will see soon enough. I'll see you at 1." He said before walking out and shutting the door behind him. I sat back down in my chair and went over everything that had just transpired within the last 2 hours.

Once my head stopped spinning I stood up from my chair and headed down to the kitchen to see if I could find Sam.

"Winston." I called out when I entered the kitchen. He was working with the chief preparing the food for today's event.

"Mmmnn." He hummed. He was currently wrapping grape leaves and did not want to break his concentration.

"Have you seen Sam?" I asked. Winston didn't answer instead he wrapped his grape leaf before wiping his hands on his apron and moving to the glass doors that led outside. He gestured his hand for me to come to him and then he pointed out the doors towards the tennis court.

Following his line of vision and where his finger was pointing too I instantly saw a small figure in the distance sitting on top of the small stone wall that was in front of the stairs that led to the tennis court.

"Thank you." I muttered to him. He put his hand on my shoulder and nudged me to face him.

"Everything is taken care of, Lady Croft so do not worry. Besides you will only get in the way." Winston stated.

"I would not…" I muttered while crossing my arms over my chest; I felt like a teenager but Winston was right I would probably just get in the way. He knew what he was doing; hell, he planned two of these 'events' before.

"Your attire, as you requested, will be in your room at 11:30." He said before heading back to finish with his grape leaves. I pulled the glass doors open and headed outside.

I was always a light stepper to begin with but Yamatai made that even more of the case. I could sneak up on almost anyone and Sam was the easiest one.

As I slowly walked up behind her I could tell that her eyes were closed by the way she had her head titled back so her face was basking in the somewhat warm rays of the sun. It took me a second before I realized that in order to bare the chill English air she had taken to wearing a sweatshirt; my sweatshirt.

I couldn't help but become really turned on seeing her wearing my sweatshirt but the hottest part was that it was the one that had 'CROFT' written across the back.

With a smirk on my face I continued to close the distance between us until I was within arm's reach of her; she still had no clue that I was even there. I closed the remaining distance with one step and wrapped my arms around her middle, causing her to jump, and pulled her against my chest.

"Shit! Lara, don't do that." Sam snapped; her hand was clutching the fabric over her heart. I chuckled into her neck before placing a small kiss on the smooth skin.

"For someone who nags me about my fashion sense you seem to be making yourself very comfortable in my clothes." I sneered into her neck. Sam moved her arm up and gripped the back of my neck pulling me closer. She turned her head and quickly pecked my lips.

"Are you seriously complaining?" She whispered against my lips.

I didn't bother to reply instead I moved to connect our lips. It was a somewhat awkward position since Sam was straining her head to face me and deepen the kiss; I took pity and pulled away in order to step back so Sam could turn around on the wall to face me.

Sam fisted my shirt and pulled me in between her legs. I managed to smile down at her before she captured my lips once again; our tongues fought for dominance which I let her win. I moved my hands to slip up the back of her shirt underneath the sweatshirt; the feel of her smooth, warm skin sent shivers down my spine.

I felt her pull the elastic out of my hair and thread her fingers through it. I tried to pull back to say something but Sam wouldn't let me move; she latched onto my bottom lip with her teeth to keep me close.

She moved her hands under my shirt and trailed her fingernails along my skin. I couldn't help but moan against her mouth. Although her fingers felt nice against my skin I couldn't help but realize that we are outside and it wasn't that warm out.

"Sam…" I tried to mutter but it was difficult when she kept pressing her lips onto mine. "Baby…" I tried again; this time I pulled my face away and moved it down her neck away from her lips. "We can't…not out here." I pointed out. I heard Sam groan as she tried to pull my face back up to hers but I stayed buried in her neck.

"Live it up Lara." She uttered

"We will freeze out here." I expressed. "Just follow me."

I took a step back from her allowing her to scoot off the wall; I didn't miss the annoyed expression on her face. I know that Sam likes to be spontaneous but I did not feel like freezing my ass off just to get my rocks off. Instead I have another idea which I think Sam will very much enjoy; after all it was on her bucket list.

I grabbed her hand and started to pull her along the manor towards the other side.

"By the time we get to your room the mood will be completely dead." Sam declared.

"Hush up." I shushed her. We moved pass the main garden until we reached my destination. I open the door and peeked inside to make sure that Henry wasn't around before I moved us both into the room.

When I heard Sam gasp beside me I couldn't help but smirk. "Still think the mood been killed?" I whispered. Got great pride in Sam's lack of speech and the blush that I could see rising up her cheeks.

Sam had told me about her 'sex fantasy' bucket list when she was extremely drunk; I don't even think she remembers telling me. This had been on the top of her list and since we got here I've been wanting to cross it off the list.

"Which one?" She asked timidly; her breathing had become heavy with lust. I moved behind her and leaned in close to nip at her neck and jaw before I moved up to her ear.

"Your choice." I breathed into her ear. Sam took a few minutes to look around before she roughly grabbed my hand and yanked me towards her item of choice. I moaned when I realized which item she choice; it was my personal favorite and it also belonged to me.

Once she was in front of the item Sam halted and turned to face me. The look she had on her face caused my panties to become soaked. She wrapped her arms around my neck and wrenched my face down to her for a hard and rough kiss. She pulled away and kissed her way to my ear.

"Take me _fast _and _furious_." She moaned into my ears. Instantly I reacted to her words with a growl while I hoisted her up into my arms, her legs wrapping around my waist, before I roughly slammed her into the hood of my 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429.

My mouth went straight to her neck and I started to bite down her collarbone and along her jaw. Sam tried to move her hand up my shirt but I didn't allow it. I gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head against the windshield.

This was her sexual fantasy; to be taken on top of a muscle car. It couldn't be any muscle car; it had to be a 'hot' one, as she pointed out in her drunken confession. Also it couldn't be a random car; she stated several times that the person helping her with her fantasy had to own the car.

I shifted her wrists into one of my hands while I moved the other one under her shirt and bunched it up over her bra. I cupped her through her bra and left wet kisses between the valley of her breast. Sam whimpered and struggled against my hand.

I grinned against the skin of her stomach. "Struggle all you want; I'm not letting you go."

Sam let out a moan when she felt my fingers slip past her waist band. "Fuck…Lara." She gasped out breathlessly. I could feel the thin sheet of sweat that had begun to coat her body under my nose as I moved back up her body to her lips.

She tried to kiss me but I pulled back before our lips could touch. I released her wrists from my hand and moved it to join my other hand that was lingering just above the waistband. Sam took advantage of my occupied hands to wrap her arms around my neck and pull me down for a sloppy kiss.

I slipped my hands into the back of her sweats and lacy underwear and started to pull them down her legs; Sam lifted herself a little so I could get them down easier but she stayed latched onto my lips. When I got the pants and underwear to her knees I had to break the kiss, much to Sam's annoyance, to step back and pulled them down her calves and slip them down and off her ankles.

Sam was quick to lock her legs on the back of my thighs and force me back between her legs; I heard her breath catch when I rocked my hips against hers. I rocked my hips again causing her to arch her back off the hood; I moved my hands up her arched back to the clasp of her bra and released it before she relaxed back against the hood.

I brought my hands back to her front and cupped her breast under the loose bra. "Lara…come on." Sam begged me. I just gave her a devilish smirk and moved my head down to slip a nipple between my lips; Sam let out a deep moan.

I let go of her nipple and pulled back from her; I took this opportunity to admire the woman beneath me. I raked my eyes over her slender and fragile frame; I couldn't help but be amazed by how much she has managed to do with such a small body. I let out a groan when I thought about how she showed me not to underestimate her slender body.

I moved back down to her stomach and trailed my lips south between her spread legs. I didn't go where she wanted me to instead I kissed the inside of her thighs to make her suffer a little more.

Sam was dripping with anticipation and I finally decided to give in. I took a breath of her scent before I pressed my tongue against her little bundle of nerves.

Sam cried out and I heard her slam her palm against the hood of the car before I felt them clutch at my head. "Fuck…oh god." she whispered.

I rotated my tongue around in different patterns and stokes trying to give Sam the release she so craved. Her movements her becoming erratic and I had to hold her hips down so I could keep going. It wasn't long before I felt her thighs tighten around my head and heard her cry out my name.

Coming down from her high, Sam let her thighs go limp away from me. I sat up and pressed my hands on either side of Sam's waist against the hood of my car and watched her try and steady her breathing; I got great pleasure on how out of breath she was.

When she opened her eyes to look at me I grinned at her. "Live up to your fantasy?" I asked her.

Sam just grinned at me; she had a mischief glimmer in her eyes. Before I knew it she lifted her back off the hood, cupped the back of my neck with one of her hands and had the other one buried in my pants and knickers.

I couldn't hold back the surprise gasp; I hadn't expected that. God…her fingers felt good.

"Seems someone," she pointed out how ready I was, "was enjoying the fantasy." I pressed my face into her shoulder and curled my fingers into fist.

Her fingers were magic and she knew exactly how to use them; she already had me hanging on the brink. I felt her lips on my neck and slowly move up to my ear. "Come on Lara," her tongue ran over the shell of my ear, "I know your close." She whispered as she twisted her fingers deeper.

With her words I was thrown over the edge; I pushed my hips against her hand to press her fingers deeper inside me and came hard around her.

Sam pulled her hand out and lay back down against the hood; once I caught my breath I stepped back from her legs and laid down next to her.

"I can cross one fantasy off my bucket list," Sam piped up, "now I only have 66 left…I think."

I threw my forearm across my eyes and groaned. "You're going to be the death of me." I expressed to her but I couldn't hold back the huge smile I had.

"I guess you do listen to me when I'm drunk." Sam commented. She laced her fingers with mine.

"It's not like I have much of a choice." I muttered.

Sam swatted at my shoulder. "I'm not that bad." I turned to smile at her; I brought our clasped hands to my mouth and placed a kiss on the back of her hand. "I love you." I whispered.

"I love you too, Lara." She replied.

We lay on the hood of the car for about a half hour before I glanced at the clock in the corner of the room and saw that I need to get ready. I sit up and slide of the hood; I grabbed Sam's pants off the floor and handed them to her as she got off the car. She slid them over her hips, redid her bra and pulled her shirt back down. I chuckled, "You all set?" I asked her.

"It's not my fault you like to strip me," was her comeback. I moved to the work table that held all the cleaning supplies for the cars. I open one of the draws and grabbed a towel and bottle; walked back to the car. I sprayed the contents of the bottle on the hood and wiped it down with the towel.

There wasn't anything visible on the hood but I knew that Henry took great care of the cars and I didn't want him to find anything embarrassing. Besides I didn't want anything staining my hood; I worked hard to get this car and to get it running.

"I wouldn't have pegged you for a muscle car person." Sam informed; she had taken to leaning against the work table while I also wiped down the windshield.

I shrugged my shoulders as I lifted the wipers to clean under them. "I'm into the older muscle cars; the newer models are nice but there is nothing like the classics."

Sam pushed off the table and circled the car. "This is a…Mustang, right?" she guessed. Sam liked cars but she went based of their price not their model or make; and her type was they expensive ones.

"Yes. 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429."

I knelt down so I was eye level with the hood and made sure I didn't miss anything or leave any streaks. When I was satisfied I stood up and put away the towel and bottle. "What does Boss 429 mean?" Sam wondered.

I walked to the driver's side door, opened it and bent down to pop the hood. I rounded back to the front and lifted the hood up; locking it with the hood prop rod. "This is what Boss 429 means." I answered gesturing towards the shiny engine.

Sam joined at the front and leaned down under the hood to get a better look at the engine. "Shit, that's huge." She commented.

"This car is a rare make and very highly valued because of this." I informed. Sam moved her head and I undid the hood prop and gently closed the hood with a thud.

"Okay…what made you get it?" Sam wanted to know.

"I didn't get it, my father did. I believe he got it an auction. The car was in rough shape but the engine was in the best shape; it only needed a few things done to it. I think my father got it so that we can work on it together and fix it but he obviously disappeared soon after; also I'd been bugging him to get me one." I began to explain. "Roth is the one who got me into muscle cars. My father like cars but he like the old cars like the 1955 Fleetwood Cadillac." I pointed to the car on the other side of the garage. "When Roth came over he would tell me about Mustangs, Camaros, and Corvettes and so on and I became drawn to their appeal."

"So you fixed it up?" Sam pointed to the Mustang.

I scratched the back of my neck. "I kinda had to since I took a bat to the car." I sheepishly said. Sam raised her eyebrows at me. "I was mad; we were supposed to work on the car together. I was fourteen and didn't understand that my father hadn't left me so in a fit of rage I took a bat to the windows and body of the car. Yeah…I'm not sure who was more livid, Roth or Winston?" I took a breath and ran my fingers along the car. "Winston made me clean the mess and Roth made me help him fix it. At first I didn't want to, I refused every time, but over the course of the year I came to enjoy fixing it. I felt closer to Roth and my father when I was working on it."

"You must love driving it?" Sam opened the driver's side door and sat in the seat. She rubbed her hands around the steering wheel and let her eyes wander over the gadgets.

"Never driven it." Sam looked at me like I had committed a crime. "We finished it right before my father was confirmed MIA and a few months later I left and I left it here."

Sam stepped out of the car and tried to push me in the seat. "Well then what are we waiting for?"

I didn't allow her to push me in, I stood my ground. "Not now." I said firmly. Sam connected with my eyes and just nodded. "Maybe later tonight or tomorrow." I suggested. Sam simply just grinned.

After I shut my door we headed back into the main house and up to my house to rinse off and get dressed for today's event; everyone would be arriving at 12 or 12:30.

* * *

Pulling on my black blouse was hard; I didn't want to do it, it meant that this was really happening. I sat down on the ottoman in my closet with my blouse hanging open and covered my eyes with my palms trying to stop the tears that were attempting to leak through. I clenched my teeth to muffle my sobs; I didn't want Sam to hear me.

Winston had come up a half hour ago to inform me that my guest had started to arrive; Thomas and Emily were the first to show up.

"It's time..." I muttered to myself as I glanced up at the full length mirror to stare at my reflection. I watched myself stand up, wipe my eyes and button up my blouse; no matter how much I wanted to avoid it, it needed to be done.

I open the door and was greeted by Sam in a simple but beautiful black dress that cut off right at the knee. "You look beautiful." I blurted out to her. She smiled at me and walked up to me. I saw her do a once over before she moved her hands to adjust my collar.

"You look very sexy." Sam whispered. She gripped my collars tighter and pulled me in for a small kiss.

She pulled back and smooth down my shirt at the shoulders. "Ready?" I asked.

She looked up at me and giggled; when I gave her a questioning look she elaborated. "Lipstick." She rubbed her finger across my lips to get it off. "There, all gone."

We headed down the stairs to the foyer where everyone was waiting. "Lara!" I looked over to see Alisha running towards me. I bent down to allow her to engulf me in a tight embrace; I placed a gentle kiss to her temple.

"Reyes…" I heard Sam's voice say behind me. I glanced up to see Reyes heading towards us. "Sam, Lara how are you guys?" She asked.

I let go of Alisha but she didn't want to let go of me; she gripped my hand and stood right next to me. "We've been good." Sam answered for both of us. "You?"

"Been working a lot; I've started working at the garage again to take my mind off things." She explained. I felt a pull on my hand and looked down to see Alisha looking at me. "Is this your house?" she asked.

It wasn't until now that I noticed she was wearing Roth's dog tags that I had given Reyes. "Yes, it is."

She looked around in amazement. "It is beautiful."

I simply nodded and let my eyes scan the room; there were people split up in groups having conversations among themselves. I could see Thomas, Emily and Jonah near the fireplace; Peter and Jerry sitting on one of the couches and Reyes's sister sitting awkwardly in a lone armchair. She looked out of place but she knew Roth for a long time and I could assume she was also here to support her sister.

With Alisha following I went around to greet every person, leaving Sam and Reyes to their conversation. I started with Alisha's aunt and made my way around until I was standing next to Thomas.

"Little bird, it is so good to see you." Jonah announced while giving me a big hug.

"Hey, how is New Zealand?" I asked.

I stayed with them just taking about recent months until Winston came up behind me. He placed a hand on my shoulder, "the priest is here," he told me.

I took a deep breath and went to gather everyone; I told them to all follow Winston outside. Alisha let go of my hand and went to join her mother while I lagged behind; I watched Sam join Emily.

"How you holding up?" Thomas asked when he joined me in the back of the group. He looked very good dressed in his army uniform.

"Hardly, you?" I answered truthfully. Thomas halfheartedly chuckled. "Slowly slipping." He said. "This, it's going to make it so…"

"Final." I had been thinking the same thing all day; Thomas gave me a sense of comfort. Knowing that he was there made it a little easier; he had known Roth on the same level that I had.

I felt him nudge me with his shoulder; I glanced up and he smiled down at me and threw his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close as we walked down to the gazebo. "We will get through this. We both have him in our conscience; he isn't far."

The walk wasn't long but it was dreaded; by the time Thomas and I got there everyone was standing waiting for us. Thomas took his arm away and walked to where Emily was and grabbed her hand. I went stand between Reyes and Sam; Sam immediacy laced our fingers.

I gestured my head to the priest and he began his speech; right away I drowned him out and stared at the new hedge stone that was next to my parents'. The stone was the same as the other two but it had brightness since it has yet to be worn down from years of weather.

**Conrad Roth**

**March 17****th****, 1961 – July, 2013**

**Always looking out for the **

**ones he loved.**

Before I knew it the priest had finished his prayer and people were giving their moment of silence. I peeked at Reyes and saw tears strolling down her cheeks as she held onto Alisha. It was a sad day but the weather was very calm; it was chilly out but the sun was shining down and there wasn't a cloud in sight. I couldn't help but feel disappointed; in all the movies it always rained. Rain seemed fitting at this moment but it wasn't Roth; he didn't mind the cold weather or rain but he preferred the warm sun. He always told me that he was going to settle down someplace warm where he could spend the rest of his days sipping on his beer.

Once the moment of silence was over everyone started too held back to the house. Before he headed to the house Thomas stepped up to the stone and place his hand on it; he muttered something but I couldn't hear what he said. After a few moments he joined Emily and they walked back to the house.

It was only me, Sam, Reyes and Alisha now. "Sweetie, I'll meet you back inside." Sam whispered in my ear before kissing my check. I watched her go over to Alisha and offer to give her a tour of the house; Alisha was all for it and eagerly grabbed Sam's hand.

"She has his spirit…" Reyes broke the lingering silence between us. I grinned; Alisha did have Roth's spirit. "Always on the move." I added.

Reyes laughed. "Oh ya. She wants to do everything; she always wanted to be like him back when he was just Uncle Roth." I heard a break in Reyes voice; her hands were trembling a little. I walked over to her and took her hand; the tears were slowly sliding down my face.

"How did she take it?" I asked the question I've been wanting the answer to since I saw them in the Foyer.

Reyes hesitated for a second but then proceeded to answer, "Not well. I didn't tell her until a month or so later and by then she had known that Roth had died. She…she was mad, very mad. She didn't speak to me for a few weeks; kept on asking me why I didn't tell her." Reyes gripped my hand tighter as she tried to find the words to keep speaking. "Do you want to know what is so funny? I…I honestly can't figure out a logical reason why I didn't tell her or…Roth. I'm not sure what I was so afraid of? He was a wonderful father figure; I mean I saw the way he was with you. Hell, even when he was Uncle Roth he was great with Alisha; from the day she was born he was there. Not always physically but he was always asking about her."

Reyes clenched her eyes shut in an attempt to slow the tears; I could still feel my own sliding down. We stayed there for a while staring at the stone until Reyes was able to compose herself. Once she did she wiped away the wet streaks from her face and stood up straighter.

"Thank you, Lara. This was really nice." She informed me as she embraced me.

"You and Alisha are welcome here anytime to visit; you don't need me to be here." I let her know. Reyes bowed her head at me and then turned to head towards the house.

Now it was only me standing there staring down at the stones of three people I will never see again; it was a hard realization to swallow. "I miss you guys." I whispered.

For years I denied that my parents were dead, even now there is still a linger hope in my mind, but the reality is that they are gone and it has taken me until today to accept that. Roth's sudden death help me see that our loved ones can be gone in an instant so holding a grudge or holding back precious words can be a mistake. I won't be making that mistake; I no longer resent my parents.

I will not be staying at the Manor, the house is still too big in my mind, but I won't avoid it like the plague and I will not rule out living here in the future; besides I know that Sam will push to live here.

With one more glance at the hedge stones I turned around and made my way to the manor. As I got closer I could see a figure standing in the open doors of the kitchen holding a video camera. I smiled as I shook my head; she lasted longer than I expected without the camera.

"I think a whole day is a new personal record for you." I commented once she was in ear shot. Sam glanced up from the LCD and stuck out her tongue. "I've gone longer." She pointed out.

"I meant willingly, not a bad guy taking it away from you or you losing it on some island."

Sam ignored my response and proceeded to film me walking up the steps. "You look very sexy in that outfit but next time you defiantly need to wear a tie." Sam looked at me with hunger in her eyes.

"Really shagging you on top of a car wasn't enough for you today."

She closed the LCD and closed the distance between us by wrapping her arms around my neck; I moved mine to her hips. "You're fucking hot; it's hard not to want to shag you," was her logical response.

"Feelings mutual." I leaned down a place a gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you, you really helped me today."

"I will always be there for you. I love you Lara Croft." Sam firmly stated before pulling me closer and resting her head against my shoulder.

Lara Croft, that's me. I am a Croft and I'm proud of that. Roth was right when he said I was that kind of Croft; I am archeologist, an adventurer; it runs through my veins. This is my life and I would not change a thing about it. The ghosts of my past no longer haunt me; instead they push me further and harder to live my life with no regrets.

I place a kiss on top of Sam's head. "How you feeling Sweetie?" She asked against my shirt.

"They will always be in the back of my mind but I'm not going to be angry that they are gone, I'm going to remember them for what they taught me." I grabbed Sam's chin with my fingers and nudged her to look at me. "I'm going to live for now and my future. And that is what you are; I want to take this world on with you." I confessed to her. Sam merrily grinned as she leaned up to seal my confession with a kiss.

"Let's go inside." I suggested after the kiss. I took her hand and started to pull her in. "You know that all that back there sounded a lot like a proposal." Sam pointed out. I suddenly came to a halt and turned to face her; she had the camera pointed at me and was laughing. "Wow I'm not sure if I should be insulted or amused by your horrified face." She said. Based on the tinkle in her eyes I knew she wasn't insulted.

"You're a menace." I informed. She waved her hand at me and walked right on by me into the kitchen. I followed her into the house and when I caught up to her I whispered in her ear, "Trust me I plan on making my proposal unforgettable."

It was Sam's turn to freeze. I smiled at her over my shoulder and continued to make my way into the dining room where all my friends were talking and laughing. Today was about goodbye but it was also about new beginnings.

* * *

Hoped you enjoyed and review.


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